In our days of fast foods and even faster lifestyles, can you find a heart-healthy diet? At Heart & Sleep Clinics of America in Arlington, TX, cardiologist, Dr. Atif Sohail and his professional staff encourage patients in individualized eating plans which promote cardiovascular health and overall well-being. Ready to change your eating for the better?
You are what you eat
It's an old adage, and so true. What you consume impacts your risk for diabetes, hypertension, stroke and heart attack. In other words, eat well, and you can be well.
At Heart & Sleep Clinics of America, our patients throughout the Arlington, TX, area come to us to discover the best heart-healthy diet. While typical guidelines of portion control, cutting fats, sugar and salt and upping fiber, fruits and vegetables benefit everyone, some suggestions help the cardiac-conscious in particular.
So, Dr. Atif Sohail provides nutrition services right on-premises. Our dietary staff will guide you through an individualized heart-healthy plan for eating. Composed of the right foods in the right amounts, heart-healthy eating plans include your food preferences and important lifestyle factors, too. You'll learn works for you and your heart, including how to shop, read labels and prepare your favorite meals.
The heart-healthy diet
Experts at the Cleveland Clinic encourage a diet that is more plant-based and contains fewer animal proteins and fats. Reducing sugar and salt intake is important; however, you must replace these American diet staples with healthy, and appealing, choices.
Here's what we recommend as general guidelines. Your friends at Heart & Sleep Clinics of America will help you tailor the guidelines to your specific preferences and needs.
1. Consume seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables a day, replacing food choices high in saturated and trans fats. Fruits satisfy the sweet tooth, too, and all plant-based foods increase your fiber intake.
2. Drink plenty of water during the day.
3. Limit yourself to one serving of red meat a week and two per week of skinless poultry.
4. Eat roughage (bran) and soluble fiber (flax seed) daily.
5. Enjoy two to three servings of low-fat high calcium dairy every day.
6. Limit or totally abstain from alcohol. Men should have no more than two drinks a day and women, no more than one.
7. Eat fish at least twice a week for heart-healthy omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids.
8. Substitute fresh fruit for sugary candies, cupcakes and cookies.
Learn more
At Heart & Sleep Clinics of America, Dr. Sohail and his caring team want you to be proactive about your cardiac health. Why not begin your heart-friendly eating now? Call our office in Arlington, TX, for a consultation today: (817) 419-7220.